Droylsden drinkers club together to buy a defibrillator after a customer collapsed from a heart attack

Pub regulars left distraught when a customer collapsed had a whip-round to buy their own defibrillator. Drinkers at the Bush Inn in Droylsden raised the cash to buy the machine after Geoffrey Wall, 72, suffered a heart attack at the pub in July.

SERVING THE PUBLIC Landlord of the Bush Inn George Fairclough with the new defibrillator which is hoped will help save lives. Geoffrey’s son-in-law Brian Houghton (left) and son David are just two of the regulars trained to use the machine

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Pub regulars left distraught when a customer collapsed had a whip-round to buy their own defibrillator.

Drinkers at the Bush Inn in Droylsden raised the cash to buy the machine after Geoffrey Wall, 72, suffered a heart attack at the pub in July.

More than 40 staff and regulars have now been trained to use it. They say they hope it will prevent more tragedies in their close-knit community.

Landlord George Fairclough led the drive to raise £500 for the machine, which works by giving the heart an electric shock when someone has a heart attack.

For every minute that passes without defibrillation the chances of survival decrease by 14 per cent.

Mr Fairclough, 64, who has run the Moorside Street pub for 11 years, said: “Geoff was an absolutely lovely man who came in three or four times a week with his wife.

“The customers all rallied round and the emergency services relayed instructions on what to do, but sadly we had not got a defibrillator which may have made a difference.

“When something like this happens it’s such a shock and we thought, ‘What can we do?’

“It’s a close-knit community, everybody looks after each other and Geoff was no exception. It’s just typical of the customers that so many of them wanted to help.”

Dubbed the ‘Geoffrey Wall Legacy’ after the grandad and retired storeman, 43 people are now trained to use the defibrillator including George, Geoff’s son David and son-in-law Brian Houghton, who is married to his daughter Denise.

Equipment and training were provided by North West Ambulance Service which aims to fit the machines in as many public places as possible.

Other businesses to sign up so far include Cosmo Bingo in Stalybridge.

Mr Houghton, 56, added: “Hopefully we’ll never have to use it but it could be invaluable and it’s for everyone, not just the pub.

“We just want the community to know it’s there so if something happens they know where to come.”